Kimchi Restaurant @ The Hop House

Kimchi Restaurant and Sake Bar is one of the most successful of the 'new-Irish' Dublin restaurants, serving authentic Korean and Japanese food to a loyal ethnic clientele – who love it for home favourites such as Bibim Bap and Korean-style sushi – as well as to a growing fan-base of Irish customers.

Close to northside theatres, cinemas and live music venues, Kimchi makes for a very affordable and tasty pre-show dining option, but its unique relationship with the Hop House bar (formerly The Shakespeare pub) in which the restaurant is contained also makes it prime birthday party territory.

Think flashing pitchers of beer and a boisterous beer garden to retire to and you get the idea. Thankfully, large parties are contained in the back room of the restaurant, leaving the prettily lit front room for smaller groups and solo diners to gather and savour the eclectic menu.

The sushi selection is broad, and even basic sushi such as salmon nigiri (€4 for two pieces) is served topped with flying fish roe and daikon, and comes with miso soup.

There are several Japanese rice-based dishes and bento boxes, but it is the traditional Korean dishes that steal the show, many of which arrive complete with several side dishes.

Favourites include Bibim Bap (stir-fried veg and minced beef on rice with fried egg, hot chilli sauce and kimchi, the national dish of fermented cabbage) and Soonduboo Zigae (silken tofu, egg and seafood in a spicy broth, with chilli oil, kimchi, rice, and three side dishes of vegetables).

Portions are large, so order conservatively, if adventurously. And don't forget to explore the sake selection.

Might also like

In the former home of the great John Jameson of whiskey fame, and one of the leading Dublin restaurants, Chapter One was our Restaurant of the Year way back in 2001 when everybody thought southside was the place to be.
Since then many others have discovered that ...

The décor may stray into traditional pub territory with all the wood panelling, but the food at Le Bon Crubeen is very much brasserie fare. With its mix of bar stools, comfy booths, engraved glass panels, leather armchairs and parquet and tiled floors, it’s ...

This much-loved café and bookshop overlooking the Ha'penny Bridge re-opened in 2006 after a long closure and, to everybody's delight, it has turned out to be better than ever.
Although now a proper restaurant with gleaming wine glasses and a fine new La Marzocco ...

ely bar & brasserie in the IFSC (Customs House Quay) is a younger sister of the original Ely off St Stephen's Green (see entry); the style reflects the dashing contemporary architecture of the IFSC and the (very large) space includes an authentic expansive ...

IRELAND GUIDE IPHONE APP V2.0

Quickly and easily find all the very best places to eat, drink & stay across the island of Ireland with the cool new Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide iPhone Application (v 2.0 now available FREE with optional subscription elements that have a 30 day no-obligation free trial).

BlackBerry App

Blackberry mobile phone owners can quickly and easily find all the very best places to eat, drink & stay across the island of Ireland with the cool new Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide Blackberry Application - have access to the most highly respected, trusted & critically acclaimed independent guide to Irish hospitality whenever you want, wherever you are!

Samsung App

Quickly and easily find all the very best places to eat, drink & stay across the island of Ireland with the cool new Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide Samsung Bada Application - have access to the most highly respected, trusted & critically acclaimed independent guide to Irish hospitality whenever you want, wherever you are!